Allen West has intrigued me for some time so when I saw that he had published a book I was interested in reading it. As a black conservative (some people would say that is an oxymoron), his perspective on politics is considered somewhat out of the mainstream. In his book Guardian of the Republic, Lt. Colonel West has a chance to explain how his political and personal ideals came to be and to explain them in detail.

Knowing nothing about the Samurai, his subtitle of “An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom” puzzled me. I have to confess that, even after he explained it, I didn’t find it moving. The book waxes and wanes in pace so I found it a bit challenging to stay with, and readers who are expecting a biography may find it difficult to stay with as he discusses political philosophy. The philosophical ideas are critical to explaining West’s ideals and stance on various issues, and anyone eho wants to be an informed voter needs to have a basic understanding of the original intent of the Founding Fathers. This book gives the conservative position a historical context.

I am grateful for a chance to hear Allen West articulate his views and the reasons behind his principles. No matter what you think of his politics, this book is a great look into the reasons behind them. I gave the book three stars because I found the writing choppy, but Lt. Colonel West has my admiration for his principles and values.

***I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review